


Sliding Doors

by ultimatelawrence



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Multiverse Theory, Sliding Doors AU, even being the best person, ill stop now, im shit at tagging, oh its set in london btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimatelawrence/pseuds/ultimatelawrence
Summary: “Me and you? I think we find each other in all the possible universes.”/In one universe Isak just misses the train, in another he just makes it on time. Who knew that a split second, a pair of sliding doors, could send his life going in such dramatically different directions.But what if there’s something that’s always meant to happen in every universe?/aka an AU loosely set around the movie Sliding Doors





	1. Chapter 1

Isak was late. Extremely so. He’d somehow managed to press snooze 8 times in a row – he wasn’t a morning person okay – and now was facing the consequence of this stupid decision that his sleep-deprived brain had made at 7am.

He hadn’t managed to get to sleep until gone 4am and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Isak had tucked himself up at 10pm the previous night, freshly showered with a glass of warm milk and yet he still couldn’t kick his insomnia and so proceeded to lay there tossing and turning for hours whilst his oblivious boyfriend snored next to him.  
Isak looked jealously over at Erik’s body that was still asleep, wrapped up in the warm duvet whilst he hopped around the room trying to simultaneously pull on his trousers and find his shoes.

As an aspiring author, Erik didn’t even have to leave the house for work. He also didn’t bring in any money meaning that Isak had to work a job he hated as a junior laboratory assistant in a run-down research facility just to keep them both paying their rent money and, you know, not starving.  
But it was okay. Erik told him frequently that when he finished his novel (and it had been two years coming now) that he and Isak would be millionaires and everything would have been worth it. This doesn’t however make getting up at the crack of dawn for a job he hated any easier for Isak.  
Having located his shoes, Isak shoved his feet inside them, not having the time to pull the backs over his heels and ran out of the flat. It was a ten minute walk – or a five minute run – to the nearest underground station and Isak just made it on to the platform, red faced and panting, just as train pulled into the station.  
He stood for the length of the journey, tapping his foot incessantly and checking his phone for the time every 30 seconds as if the clock would magically spring back an hour and he’d be on time.

His boss hated lateness just as much as Isak hated his boss. When he took this job he thought it would be interesting, sure it’s not exactly what he wanted to do but at least it was in the general field of science. However, it turned out that “junior laboratory assistant” meant “someone whose primary job is getting coffee and photocopying whilst not getting to do any actual physics research whatsoever”. Physics wasn’t even his favourite science, biology was, so it wasn’t even like he was experiencing research that really excited him. All in all, it sucked.

When the tube finally reached the stop that was nearest the research facility, Isak leapt through the doors and started sprinting up the escalator. He finally reached the lab 1 hour and 40 minutes after he was expected; he barely had time to dump his briefcase on his small desk before his boss called him into the office, the look of thunder on her face.  
“Mr Valtersen, I’m glad you’ve finally graced us with your presence.” The sarcasm was dripping from her voice and made Isak gulp.

“I’m so sorry! After the overtime I worked yesterday I was wiped out, I managed to oversleep and-”

“What if I told you that I had a very important visitor this morning, someone from the board that provides our research funding? What if that visitor wanted our junior assistant to show him around the laboratory and was very unimpressed when I couldn’t find you? Would your apology be able to fix that?”

Isak felt his face fell, “Again, I’m so sorry! I had no idea that he was coming in today or I would have-”

“It makes no difference to me what you would have done differently, you might very well have cost us our funding.” She pursed her lips together, looking over the top of his glasses to address him. “I’m afraid Mr Valtersen, I cannot trust you to work for me any longer. Please clear out your desk and begin looking for another job.”

*

Fired. He couldn’t believe it. He was still in a state of shock as he walked himself back to the underground station to take himself home again, his desk contents now in his briefcase. Underneath the shock was a layer of anger. He had made one mistake and that was it? He had hated that job and yet he still felt so humiliated.

All he wanted now was to get home as soon as he could and vent to Erik whilst eating as much food as possible. Preferably the unhealthiest food he could lay his hands on: if he was going to mourn the loss of his income, he would at least do it whilst eating something that tasted good.

Isak was standing on the escalator that was taking him back underground and was about to text Erik to ask if they had any doritos left when he heard a train pull into the station just ahead of him. If he ran he could make it.

Running somewhere for the third time that day, Isak took off down the escalator just as a big group of people exiting the train started coming towards him. Amongst them was a little girl clutching her dad with one hand and an Elsa doll in the other.

**And in this universe…**

Just as Isak was in front of her, the girl dropped her doll at his feet and leapt down to fetch it again. This small obstacle was enough to slow Isak down as he was forced to step to the side to dodge her, he reached the platform just as the trains sliding doors doors shut in front of him and the train began to speed away again into the tunnel, leaving Isak alone and panting on the platform.

That’s when an announcement came over the sound system that there was a train derailment on the Bakerloo line so major delays will be expected. The next train to Isak’s stop was now scheduled for 50 minutes time.

Why can’t one thing just go his way today? Can’t this universe give him a break?

Isak trailed his feet back up the escalator he had sprinted down and walked on to the street. Pushing aside his sweaty curls, he stood on the edge of the curb and tried to flag down a taxi. After four driving straight past him, one finally pulled up just as two men exited the tube station.

One made direct eye contact with him and Isak replied with the tight lipped, polite smile that he reserved for strangers. The man however gave Isak a once over and Isak saw his mouth curve into a snarl as his gaze came to rest on the lapel of Isaks jacket. Isak knew exactly what had caught his attention, it was the small gay pride badge that he had pinned there, a Christmas present from Eva.

“Nice pin, fag.” Isaks insides went cold at the slur and just as he managed to swallow the lump in his throat the other man spat at him. Before Isak could react, his briefcase was ripped out of his grasp and he was shoved, making him fall to the floor and cut his cheek open on the pavement. The men’s cruel laughter echoed in the air as they raced around the corner, Isaks briefcase in hand.

Isak felt an arm around his shoulders and let the taxi driver pull him to his feet. “Looks like you need stitches, let me drive you to the hospital.”  
Isak rang Erik as the taxi driver took him to Chelsea Westminster Hospital but no one picked up.

Now Isak was jobless, alone and bleeding.

**meanwhile, in a different universe…**

_Isak was standing on the escalator that was taking him back underground and was about to text Erik to ask if they had any doritos left when he heard a train pull into the station just ahead of him. If he ran he could make it._

_Running somewhere for the third time that day, Isak took off down the escalator just as a big group of people exiting the train started coming towards them. Amongst them was a little girl clutching her dad with one hand and an Elsa doll in the other._

_The girls dad took the Elsa doll out of her hand as they passed in front of Isak, “Let me have that honey, I don’t want you to drop it.”_

_Isak slips past the rest incoming crowd easily and darts inside the sliding doors of the tube train just before they slide shut. With a sigh of relief that finally something today had gone in his favour, Isak made his way into the only empty seat left in the far corner of the carriage and slumped down as the train sped away from the platform and into the dark tunnel._

_It was only now that he stopped moving that the reality of his situation hit him. He had been fired. He was now unemployed for the first time since he was 16 and had taken on a barista job in his local coffee shop on the weekends. He had kept a job all through university and had started this job as laboratory assistant right after graduation; the thought of having no money regularly coming into his bank account made his stomach twist unpleasantly.  
On top of that, he felt like he had let Erik down; Isak’s salary was what supported them as Erik fulfilled his dream of writing a novel. Now it was gone._

_Isak let his head fall back and hit the window behind him, fully ready to use the rest of his journey home to wallow in his own self-pity and despair. This wallowing however was interrupted by the tall blonde man next to him who was loudly attempting to engage a woman in conversation._

_“Romeo and Juliet, huh?” The woman sitting across the carriage to whom this question was directed towards only lifted her eyes from her copy of the play for two seconds to nod curtly before returning to her reading. The man however didn’t take the hint that she clearly didn’t want to make small talk and continued speaking.  
“Have you seen the 1996 film adaptation! I think Luhrmann captures the love and tragedy of the story so beautifully.” His energetic and chatty tone did not fit in with the otherwise silent train - people got on the tube to sit down and avoid eye contact, not make small talk for the hell of it._

_That’s when the man turned to Isak, having decided that he should involve more people in his very one-sided conversation. “Don’t you agree? Don’t you think that everyone who can understand the English language should see that film?” Isak lifted his head to glare at the stranger. Why couldn’t a man be left to wallow in peace?_

_“I couldn’t say, I’ve never seen it.” Isak replied shortly, in an attempt to excuse himself from this conversation as quickly as possible._

_This didn’t work however as the (very attractive, Isak must say) blonde man now turned in his seat to give Isak his full attention. “You’re kidding me?” he said as he brought his hand to his heart with a look of such dismay that he was making it seem like Isak had confessed to committing a murder instead of just not watching a film. The man gestured to the briefcase Isak was clutching, “An educated man such as yourself hasn’t seen one of the best movies of all time? Well, you’ve got to fix that as soon as possible.”_

_“Well, considering that I’ve just lost my job, it would be fair to say that seeing a cinematic adaptation of a boring play I studied in high school isn’t at the top of my priority list at the moment, alright?”_

_The strangers teasing smile faded immediately and his hand dropped back down to his lap. “Wow, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” The voice was so sincere that Isak’s cold front thawed slightly._

_He sighed, “Look, it’s alright. You weren’t to know and I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry. I’m just very stressed right now.”_

_“That’s understandable….um?”_

_Isak looked up at the stranger once more whose blue eyes were now full of questioning. “This is the part where you tell me your name.”_

_“It’s Isak.”_

_“I’m Even, it’s nice to meet you. I’ll shut up now and leave you to your miserable thoughts.”_

_“I appreciate that.” Isak nodded back and retook his previous slumped over position._

_Barely two minutes went by however before Even turned to him again. “Now this next stop is where I have to get off; I thought I’d tell you in case you got up before me and then you thought I was following you. That would look extremely creepy and just ruin this casual friendship we’ve set up.”_

_And with an easy smile Even pushed himself off his seat as the doors slid open, allowing him to duck through onto the platform, his tall hair grazing the rubber frame as he left. Isak rolled his eyes and stood up to leave the train behind him._

_“Now I guess I should also set the record straight that I’m not following you, this is my stop as well.”_

_Even turned to face Isak at his words, slowing down his pace in order to walk out of the station with him. “You could follow me if you liked,” Even said, eyes twinkling, “I wouldn’t mind at all.”_

_“Though it may be hard to believe, with my unemployment and all, I’m sure there’s better ways I could spend my time.” Isak retorted as the escalator carried them towards daylight._

_“I’ll have you know that I’d be a very interesting person to stalk, you could never imagine some of the things I get up to.” Even wiggles his eyebrows to match his words and it prompts Isak to show a small smile._

_“Ah! I knew you could do it! Other people in our train carriage wouldn’t believe that the grumpy blonde in the corner could smile but look at that!” Isak rolled his eyes but his poker face was betrayed by another small smile creeping his way on to his face.  
Even started to back away from him as they reached the station exit, seemingly going the opposite direction from the street that led to Isak’s flat, “Keep smiling Isak, you’ll find another job soon and life will be okay.”_

_Isak shoots him an earnest smile as he too starts to back away, “Thank you. Have a good day, Even.”_

_“You too Isak.”_

_*_

_Within ten minutes, Isak was stood outside his door, wanting nothing more than to just get inside and take a long, hot bath to take his mind off everything. As he turns his key in the lock, Isak swears he can hear muffled voices from inside the flat which strikes him as strange. Erik would never have friends over on a Thursday at 2pm and it’s not like he has any business skype calls with his occupation as an aspiring author._

_As he steps into the flat, the muffled sounds only become more clear causing Isak to instinctively track down the source of the noise. As he rounds the corner in the hallway he comes across a pair of jeans and two shirts left in a messy heap on the floor. The floor just outside his and Erik’s bedroom._

_Immediately Isak’s heart leaps to his throat, choking him, as his brain processes just what this could mean. Nevertheless, his path towards the noise continues, almost as if he was on autopilot, and he pushes open the door to his and Erik’s bedroom only to be met with the sight of his naked boyfriend lying on top of another naked man, clearly rather busy if the moans were any indication._

_His arrival was announced by the thud of Isak’s briefcase hitting the floor as it slipped out of his hand. Erik’s head jerked up and his eyes widened in a way that Isak may have found funny if it was in a different situation, in a different universe. But he was here in this hellish universe and it wasn’t funny at all._

_“I-Isak!” Erik spluttered as he rolled off the other man who had his head where Isak’ normally laid. “What are you-, you’re not meant to be home yet!”_

_Something inside Isak snapped. “Oh, I’m sorry, should I come back later so you can finish?” His remark would have been cutting if Isaks throat wasn’t thick with tears._

_“That’s not what I meant!” The desperate and pleading note in Erik’s voice made Isak feel sick. “God, Issy-” Erik made to grab Isaks arm but he jerked out of his reach._

_“What is this? Is this a one-time fuck or something else, Erik? An affair?!”_

_Erik’s desperate splutters were an answer in themselves. Tears blur Isak’s vision. He’d let someone inside his ten-foot high emotional walls, had let himself fall in love, and yet had somehow been fucked over in the process. Isak was sure love wasn’t meant to work that way.  
How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have noticed his boyfriend having an affair?_

_“How long has it been going on then?” Isak’s voice was getting watery but he forces himself to stand straight and try not to appear quite as weak as he felt._

_“Isak! I- I was going to end it, I swear!”_

_“End it? With who? Him or me?”_

_Erik’s eyes bulged again, but before he could stammer a reply Isak cut him off, “You know what, it doesn’t matter. Consider me and you over.”_

_Isak spun around so viciously that a few of the tears he had been holding back leaked down his cheeks. He grabbed his phone and wallet before slamming the bedroom door behind him._

**meanwhile, in the other universe…**

Isak felt stupid. He had a massive dinosaur-patterned plaster across his cheek to cover his fresh stiches, apparently the A&E had run out of extra-large size adult plasters so he was stuck with one designed for a child. How does a hospital run out of plasters?  
It had taken hours as well. Jonas was always ranting about how poorly funded the NHS is but Isak didn’t fully appreciate his point until he was the one having to sit around, waiting for treatment.

He stepped out of his taxi and crossed the street into the three-story building he lived in, as he reached the building door another man was exiting and held the door open for him. He looked about Isaks age but he didn’t recognise the man as a neighbour. Maybe he just moved in. Whatever. He was eying Isak’s plaster with thinly veiled distain so it wasn’t like they were going to be friends therefore who cared who this man was.

Isak turned the key in the lock of his flat door and was met to the sound of the running water of the shower. “Uh, Isak? Is that you?” Eriks voice sounded echo-y from the bathroom and Isak dumped his jacket on the sofa before making his way there.

“Yeah, who else would it be?” Isak pushed the door open just as Erik stepped out and grabbed a towel, “Have you only just got up? What the fuck its almost 4pm.”

“No, I just wanted to freshen up-,” Erik raised his eyes to meet Isak’s for the first time and saw his plaster. “Baby, what the fuck happened to you?”

“It’s a long story but to cut it short I got fired and then these guys jumped me on the street, stole my briefcase and left me with the gracious gift of 8 stiches.” Erik took Isak’s face in his hands, cupping his cheeks causing Isak to look down at him and pout. “I called you but you didn’t pick up.”

Erik cleared his throat, “Sorry, I must have been busy writing. And I’m sorry this happened to you. What happened at work?”

“I overslept so I got fired. Whatever, I hated it anyway.”

“There’s plenty of part time work that you can do instead, like delivery and all that, you know to still bring in some money.”

The prospect of being a delivery boy with a university degree made Isak glum, “Yeah, I guess.”

“But hey, forget about that now. Have you eaten today?” Isak shook his head in reply, “Okay then, how about we order Chinese from your favourite place and then go down to the pub and get absolutely hammered. I’m talking the kind of all-out drunk where you start serenading the bar tender with Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler until we get kicked out. Does that sound good?”

Isak lets his mouth slip into a tight smile and nods his head in consent whilst Erik immediately lets go and walks into the kitchen to find the takeout menu.

By 8pm that night, Isak was spinning himself absent-minded on a bar store whilst Erik kept ordering him drink after drink.

“Fuck your boss!” Erik crowed loudly as Isak let out a laugh, “Let’s cheers to you getting a new job and me finishing my book. To me! And to you!” They tried to knock their glasses together but their intoxicated states led to them missing by at least 30 centimetres which set Isak off in another bout of giggles.

Isak was currently the right side of tipsy where everything felt warm and he was laughing at almost anything Erik said even though a sober Isak would find none of it particularly amusing. His drunken mind had allowed him to view the world with rose-tinted glasses and in that moment everything felt fine, despite his lack of a pay check and gain of a ridiculous dinosaur plaster.

Maybe everything would be fine. He could handle this. Erik was here and he would be fine.

**meanwhile, in the other universe…**

_Isak was drunk. After storming out of the flat and wandering aimlessly for a few hours until the tears finally stopped, he had gone to the nearest pub and occupied himself with drinking enough to drown out the memory of his cheating twat of an ex-boyfriend._

_He had only spoken one sentence to the bar tender since arriving and that was an instruction to fill his glass whenever it looked empty; the man had complied and so Isak had no idea what drink he was on at this point. His sixth? Or maybe eighth?_

_Isak was the side of drunk where every second thought was self-deprecating. He hated himself for being so cut up over the break-up; Erik clearly hadn’t cared about him as much as Isak had thought and that made Isak feel impossibly stupid. Why did he trust the wrong people? Why did no one stay?_

_He rested his chin on the hands, and was about to down the rest of his drink when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. “Isak?” He looked up at his name to be greeted with the man he had sat next to on the tube, the one with the swoopy hair and nice eyes. Isak screwed up his eyes as his intoxicated mind tried to chase the mans name around his head, trying to match it to the face. Was it Edward? Edmund? Wait! “Even!”_

_Isak heard a chuckle, “Yes, that’s me. I’m glad you remember or this would have been awkward.”_

_“You’d be hard to forget,” Isak replied in the brazen way that only a drunk person can. It was true though, maybe his brain was too busy swimming in alcohol to remember his name straight away but it felt like Even’s face was practically imprinted in the back of Isak’s brain ever since their interaction. Which was odd._

_Even quirked an eyebrow, “I’ll take that as a compliment?” When Isak didn’t reply he continued. “Well anyway, I was just sat over there with my friend and noticed you looking glum. I thought I’d come over to check you were okay?”_

_Isak sighed, “Well I wouldn’t use that word to currently describe myself.”_

_“Things will work themselves out, I’m sure a smart guy like you can find a new job.”_

_Isak couldn’t help but smile at Even’s kindness despite the heaviness in his heart. “Yeah, the whole job thing sucked but it felt fixable until I came home and found my boyfriend in bed with someone else. As you can imagine, that was the cherry on top of the fucking cake that was my shitty day.”_

_Even’s eyes went from optimistic to sympathetic, “I’m so sorry Isak, you don’t deserve any of that.”_

_“Don’t apologise. He didn’t feel the need to so you definitely shouldn’t.”_

_Even nodded hesitantly, “Okay. Well, I’ll leave you to have some peace but I’m just over in the corner booth if you need anything, alright?”_

_“Thanks Even. Again.” Even squeezed his arm, before making his way back over to his friend leaving Isak alone and slightly missing the presence of another human._

_This feeling didn’t last long though because just as the bar tender is once again filling up his glass the door to the pub opens and Eva bursts in with Jonas right behind her.  
“Isak!” They yell in sync as they make their way over, settling opposite sides of him and wrapping their arms around his shoulders. _

_“I’m so glad we found you! I was so worried!” Eva wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Isak felt his tears well up again at this simple act of affection. He suddenly realised how long it had been since someone had hugged him. He pressed the base of his palm into his eyes to keep the tears from coming out._

_“How did you guys find me?” He hiccupped half way through his sentence causing Jonas to look disapprovingly at Isaks glass and gently push it out of reach._

_“Erik came over to our place trying to find you. He kept trying to get me to call you so he could know where you were. He was pleading about how bad he felt which clearly meant he had fucked up and upset you. This is kind of where you go when you’re sad.”_

_“Yeah, I found him cheating on me. It’s probably been going on for a while now.” Isak somehow felt heavier after admitting it out loud to his two best friends and he let his head slip on to Jonas’ shoulder._

_Both Jonas and Eva let out sharp sounds, a mixture of dismay and anger. “Asshole!” Isak nodded glumly at Jonas’ statement as Eva took her spare hand to brush Isak’s hair out of his eyes._

_“You were always too good for him Isak.” Eva said solemnly._

_“What did you guys tell him?”_

_“I said that I didn’t know where you were but when I found out I wouldn’t be telling him anything you didn’t want him to know.”_

_“Yeah, he seems to think that by dating you that we’re automatically his best friends too. Twat.” Eva let out a growl at the end of her sentence and wound her arms even tighter around Isak. “Jonas told him that we’d always take your side so he can forget about it. He gave up after I slammed the door in his face.”  
Isak nodded, not able to get the right words out to explain just how grateful he was to have friends like Jonas and Eva._

_“But enough about him, how are you, man?”_

_At the direct question Isak couldn’t stop the silent tears from rolling down his face again._

_“My minds just a mess right now, I can’t even tell if I’m more angry or hurt. All I do know is that I feel so... so stupid! How did I not notice anything?!”_

_Jonas’ face twisted into a look of concern, “Don’t blame yourself for anything Is. You were in a committed relationship, you aren’t meant to be constantly looking for evidence of cheating. You’re meant to trust your partner and it’s not your fault that Erik betrayed that.”_

_“He’s right Isak.” Eva agreed, running her hand up and down Isak’s arm. “Come on, let’s get you home. You can stay in our spare room for as long as you like.”_

_*_

_The next morning Isak wakes up at 11am with only a minor headache. He vaguely remembers Jonas making him down two litres of water last night before he slept. Just as he’s silently praising Jonas and all his common sense that probably stemmed from his fiancé who was infamous for drinking too much, the man himself walks in with said fiancé in tow._

_“Morning Iss. Feeling alright?” Jonas sets a fresh glass of water on the bedside table as Eva sits down on the edge of the bed, a pile of clothes in her arms._

_“Emotionally I’m very shitty but physically, I’m only a little shitty. Small mercies I guess.” It’s a very weak attempt at humour that only brings more pity to his friend’s expressions._

_“Well, you never have to see that asshole again. Me and Jonas went to your flat this morning and collected all your things.” Eva nods to the corner of the spare bedroom Isak is in at the small mountain of things piled there. “I also took two £20 notes from Eriks jeans.”_

_Isak smiled as Eva handed him the notes with a small wink, “That’s paying for our takeout tonight.”_

_“Or you could invest in a banner to hang across the London Bridge. Have Erik’s face on it with the caption ‘This man is a fugly slut. Do not trust him!’ ”_

_Jonas shook his head at Eva but started laughing as soon as he saw Isak laughing too._

_“Relatable movie references aside, I made breakfast, if you want some?”_

_On cue, Isaks stomach rumbled. Jonas’ hangover cure breakfasts were always the best._

_Nodding his head, he followed the other two into their tiny kitchen and sat himself down at the breakfast bar. Within three minutes, Isak has a plate piled high with food which he tucked into eagerly, knocking elbows with Jonas and Eva as they both started on their own plates._

_As he stuffed his face Isak felt a twinge of guilt that he was now invading Jonas and Eva’s personal space. Their flat was small and as a fairly newly engaged couple they probably needed their space without a grumpy blonde getting in their way and eating their food._  
_But he could hardly look for a flat of his own with no idea of his price range due to his current employment, or rather his lack of it._  
 _Which was another issue he needs to look at. The problem was that Isak didn’t even know where to begin looking; he’d had that terrible job for so long the idea of trying to apply for a job he actually wanted seemed foreign. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do anymore. Add on top of that the still fresh betrayal of someone who used to be the closest to him and Isaks whole outlook on the world was pretty crappy._

_“Isak. I can practically hear your brain going into overdrive.” Jonas leaned over to pat his shoulder comfortingly, “You don’t have to bottle things up you know, you can talk to us.”_

_Easier said than done._

_Isak sighed. “I just have no fucking clue what I’m supposed to do now. Where do I even start? A new job? A place to rent? Cutting Erik out of all my photos?”_

_Jonas and Eva exchanged sympathetic looks above Isak’s head as he slumped down beside his bacon._

_“Look, I get it. You feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you can’t even imagine a way out of this. That’s how I felt after me and Vilde broke up. But I just took things one day at a time, you can’t expect an immediate fix for everything, but I promise that there will be a moment in the near future where you can honestly say that everything is okay again. Actually, that things are better than they ever have been.” Eva paused to loosely loop her arm around Isaks shoulders, knocking off Jonas’ hand accidently in the process, “Just focus on one thing at a time.”_

_Eva made sense, she often did if Isak was being honest (not that he would tell her that – her ego can be big enough thank you very much)._

_“Okay,” Isak nodded his consent, feeling a small smile returning to his face, “Today’s thing will be dropping off my old keys to the landlord and signing up to some employment websites.”_

_“Atta boy!” Jonas raised his orange juice to make a toast, “To Isak! He’s going to be stable, slick and getting some new dick!”_

_“Hear, hear!” Eva crowed. Isak rolled his eyes but joined in with clinking their glasses together._

_*_

_After breakfast Eva headed off to her yoga class, Jonas went to meet his sister for coffee and Isak went to drop off his keys.  
The walk was only a short one, Eva and Jonas’ flat was only a five minute walk from Isak and Eriks (though now it was simply Eriks), and the sky was surprisingly clear for an autumn day in London. _

_The streets were moderately busy with parents trying to drag their kids to the park for some fresh air and teenagers rushing off to try and catch the last few hours of warmth before winter properly started. Isak was just admiring an extremely fluffy puppy that was being walked on the other side of the street when he crashed right into someone.  
“Oof! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!” Isak raised his eyeline to find himself face to face with Even. _

_There was around 8.8 million people in London, so how did Isak keep running (now quite literally apparently) into this one?_

_“No worries Isak, I understand what it’s like to be distracted by a cute face.” Even’s bright and suggestive grin sees Isak sharing a similar one on his own face._

_“Hate to break it to you, but that puppy is the only cute face around here that’s distracting for me.”_

_Even held his hand over his heart and dropped his mouth open to feign hurt, “You mean to say that you rank that ball of fluff over me? I’ll have you know that I was voted ‘Best Hair’ in my high school yearbook.”_

_Isak snorted with laughter and only had a brief moment of embarrassment at the unattractiveness of the sound, “And I’m sure that that’s the top line of your CV.”_

_“Yes, right under ‘can make awesome conversations on the underground’. Even’s eyes lingered on Isak’s face. “So, where are you off to?”_

_“I’m going to hand in my old keys to my landlord,” Isak waved the keys uselessly in the air as if his comment needed a demonstration._

_“Oh, you’ve just moved?”_

_“Yeah I guess, my friends moved my stuff out this morning into their flat. I didn’t fancy staying around my old one for much longer.” At the mere mention of his situation, Isak felt his small smile fall into a frown._

_Even’s eyes widen slightly, having understood the implication behind Isak’s words. He had after all been there for some of Isak’s drunken ramblings yesterday._

_There was a moment of awkward silence which Even quickly rushed to fill. “I’m sorry I brought it up, I should have thought.”_

_Isak shrugged, “You weren’t to know.”_

_“Well, I’m sorry anyways. How about I treat you to a milkshake? There’s this great place around the corner, their drinks are always insane.”_

_Isak felt himself hesitate at the invitation which, again, Even seemed to clock. How did he work out what was going on in Isak’s head so well?_

_“Come on! I just want to see that frown off your face, what’s the harm in a milkshake between friends?”_

_Isak looked up to meet Even’s eyes again and the unmasked enthusiasm makes it impossible to turn him down. “Uh- Okay. Alright then. But only because you’re paying.”_  
_Even flashed him another grin before leading the way to the milkshake place._  
 _*_  
 _Even was right. Insane was the only word Isak could use to describe the milkshake sitting in front of him. It had a mountain of whipped cream, rich chocolate and even a full-sized brownie perched on the top._

_Even was also right in the fact that Isak’s frown was long gone, lost the moment conversation started flowing between the pair of them. They were covering a random range of topics, anything that came to mind, from movies (“I thought you said that just to shut me up! How have you lived 24 years without seeing Romeo+Juliet, Isak what the fuck?!”), music (“You listen to that poppy crap? God Even, I had you pegged as this cool guy… I guess they’re right when they say that first impressions are normally wrong.”) and even their split opinions about pineapple on pizza (“It’s common knowledge that pineapple is the most superior fruit so why not put it on pizza?” “Isak that’s totally barbaric, you need to be banned from ever consuming pizza again.”)_

_There was never an awkward pause and the laughter seemed to flow out of them both. For the first time in a while Isak simply felt at ease; he’d missed it.  
An hour later, Isak was obnoxiously slurping up the frothy remains of his drink whilst Even finished a funny story about his friend Mikael involving a drunken night and an inflatable flamingo that had Isak choking with laughter._

_“I can’t believe he did that! He sounds like a great person to have around. My friend Magnus is always doing similar stupid shit that I can laugh at.”_

_“Yeah, I only keep him in my life for the entertainment.” Even joked before pausing to add, “And really, he is a great friend, he’s been there for me when other people wouldn’t. Hey, you should meet him!” Even’s eyes lit up as he leaned further in to Isak who was looking back sceptically from across the booth, unsure about where this was going. “I’m serious. We’re having a dinner party in a couple of weeks at Mikael’s house, you should come! It’ll be totally relaxed, just a few friends and a lot of wine.”_

_The wine tempted Isak, but hanging around with a bunch of strangers who already all knew each other didn’t sound too appealing. Although, if they were all as nice as Even it couldn’t be too bad._

_Again Even sensed his unease, “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to of course. But it might be nice to just have a night out, you know? And my friends don’t bite. In fact, Yousef is bringing his new girlfriend so you’d just have to sit back and laugh at us teasing him. Even join in if you want.” Even tried to wink at Isak from across the booth but dismally failed, instead offering a twitchy kind of blink which made Isak laugh in his face._

_How could the friends of a guy who couldn’t blink be terrifying or mean?_

_“Alright, I’ll come, it sounds good.”_

_Even grinned back at him, “Great! Let me give you my number and you can text me closer to the time and I can give you directions.”_

_Isak nodded and fished his phone out of his pocket to hand to Even. He typed away for a few seconds before handing it back._

_“Well, I was meant to be at my parents’ house an hour ago so I should probably head out,” Even said as he slid out the booth and started putting on his coat. “This was fun though, it was nice to see you again Isak.”_

_Isak smiled softly back at him, “Thank you for the milkshake, and the invitation to dinner.”_

_“It’s no problem Isak, I’ll see you then.” And with one last wave, Even left the shop leaving Isak with a smile and a new phone contact._

**meanwhile, in the other universe…**

To say his head hurt was a major understatement. It felt like all him limbs had been replaced with lead and someone had decided to start tap dancing on his skull. He really should have drunk some water when he came in last night.

The other side of the bed was empty and Isak could hear a faint voice of Erik coming from the kitchen, sounding like he was on the phone. Groaning, Isak pushed back the covers and snatched up the glass he keeps on his bedside table. He made his way to the bathroom in search of some ibuprofen to calm the pounding in his head. He was sure that he’d seen two left in the packet yesterday morning.

After rummaging around in the cupboard his only reward for struggling out of bed was a now-empty packet of pills. Erik must have taken the last two already this morning, leaving Isak with none. Rolling his eyes at this form of selfishness, Isak filled his glass to the brim with water and sipped it moodily in a half-assed attempt to banish his headache. He wandered out into the tiny kitchen of their flat, banging open the door as he entered. Erik clocked him and hastily said goodbye to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Who was that calling at this time of the morning?” Isak spoke softly, so not to make his head feel any worse than possible.

Erik rubbed the back of his neck as he replied, “Oh, uh- just my mum.” Before Isak could ask what she’d wanted, Erik moved the conversation along. “Look, do you mind cooking us some breakfast? I need to shower before I head out to the library, I’ve got more book research to do.”

“Really? Do you have to go today? It’s a Saturday, I thought we could just have a lazy day or something.” Isak could hear the whining tone in his voice and feel the pout on his lips.

“A book doesn’t write itself honey, you know that. And anyway, weren’t you going to go and get some new jobs today? Rent is due in two weeks I think.” Erik didn’t wait for a reply, instead he quickly kissed Isak on the forehead and moved towards the bathroom.

“Yeah, I guess.” Isak grumbled, mainly to himself as he got some bacon out of the fridge to fry up. He was the one in the personal crisis, why did he have to make breakfast? He knew Erik would just think he’s being bratty though so he doesn’t voice his complaints and just gets on with breakfast.

They eat quickly, both too hungover to make riveting conversation. As soon as Erik’s plate was clear he left the room to grab his coats and shoes. “Thanks for breakfast, and thanks in advance for doing the washing up.”

“This book better be the best damn book I’ve ever read. It feels like you’re always at the library.”

Erik smiled at him as he opened up their flat door, “You know it will be honey. See you later!” And with that he was gone.

Isak stuffed the remaining half of his hash brown into his mouth before piling his own plate on top of Erik’s and carrying it to the sink where the various pots and pans already lay, waiting to be washed. As Isak ran the hot water his mind wandered to what jobs he could get.

There was no way he could secure a job in another science laboratory before the end of the day. Interview stages for science related careers could last weeks and he knew Erik was right: he needed a new job soon if they were going to make rent without dipping into Isak’s savings.

So by the end of the day, Isak had three jobs: a part time morning job in a local bakery, a job delivering sandwiches to people in fancy offices who couldn’t be bothered to get their own and a waiter job in the local Italian restaurant. His first shift as a waiter was this evening and he started in the bakery at 4:30am the following day. Isak knew it was going to be a lot but it was the only way he could make up the salary he’d lost.

And it was a lot. Isak was in a constant state of tired that reminded him of his time at university, though then he’d been a student with plenty of time to sleep but just unable to and now he simply had no time to get a full nights sleep at all. And sure, Isak liked spending time with people (okay, he could stand a short list of people for long periods of time, the list being: Jonas, Eva, Erik and Eskild his old roommate) but when he was working three customer service jobs, he had had it with the constant smiling and pretending he didn’t want to slap someone when they sent back their steak for the third time.

And it wasn’t like he could come home and relax. No there was still laundry to sort, a dishwasher to load and toilet rolls to replace. Erik was near-constantly at the library lately so wasn’t home to do much of the chores. It was all taking its toll on Isak. He could feel his stress growing, sense the constant weight it was starting to press on him again, like when he was still in the closet.

Maybe that’s why Isak reacted the way he did, so dramatically which normally would be out of character.

It happens when he comes home after a seven hour shift at the restaurant that had been preceded by three hours spent delivering and four hours in the bakery. It was around 10pm when Isak got back, throwing his keys down on the kitchen table before slumping there himself. By the sounds of the running water Erik was in the shower and by the small heap of crockery in the sink, he hadn’t even washed up yet from his dinner.

The site of such an unorganised mess made Isak itch so with a roll of his eyes he hauled himself off his chair and shuffled to the sink. There were several plates, probably a combination of breakfast lunch and dinner, a half drunk mug of tea, three chopping boards, two-

Wait.

Two wine glasses.

What?

Isak rubbed his eyes, checking he wasn’t so tired that he was seeing double. But no, there was definitely two wine glasses in the sink.

Why would Erik use two separate wine glasses? Unless…

Something in Isak’s stomach dropped. He stood there for a few moments, still a state of confusion but with dread also lacing its way into his mind.

The kitchen door banged open, “Isak! Hey, how was work? Get many big tips?” When Isak didn’t reply Erik moved closer, “Hello? Are you angry I didn’t do the washing up? I was just about to.”

Isak swallowed roughly, “Not angry, just confused.”

“But why are you…” Erik looked back over at the sink and if Isak hadn’t been staring at him so intensely he might have missed the slight widening of Erik’s eyes. But he had been staring.

“I’m confused as to why there are two wine glasses in the sink.”

“Oh well I- that was from us, last night wasn’t it?” Erik looked at him almost condescendingly, as if Isak was being stupid and forgetting things.

“No, we didn’t have wine last night. I got back late and you were already asleep.”

A mild look of panic crossed Erik’s face, “Okay then, it must have been the night before. We’ve both been busy lately, we must have not washed them up yet. I don’t know. Why this feel like an interrogation though Isak? It’s just a wine glass, what’s the big deal?”

Isak was taken aback with the small outburst, he was just confused and asking after all, “I’m not interrogating-“

“You are! You’re always so dramatic, always so doubtful. Don’t you trust me?”

“Well yes of course I-“

“Are you accusing me of something? All I do is love and care for you and now you’re accusing me?”

The words hung between them, between Erik who had his arms folded and was red in the face and Isak, who had shrunken into his frame.

“I didn’t mean to accuse you, I promise. I was just confused and tired, I guess.” And he was tired. He wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep for 24 hours.

“Yeah, it’s because you’re tired. Look I’ll finish the washing up and you go take a shower, your hair looks a bit greasy babe.”

_Yes because I don’t have the time to shower in the morning because I wake up at 3am in order to get to work and pay our rent, you asshole-_

“Okay, yeah I will.” Isaks feet led him to the bathroom where he numbly turned the shower on and stepped inside.

*

It’s a little stilted between them for a few days after that. Erik seems more on edge and Isak is just doing his best not to make him angry again. Another change is that when he gets home from his shifts now, Erik has always done the washing up.

A part of Isak hoped that as he continued to work three jobs, it would reach a point where he got used to it, where it got easier. The highlight of his week so far had been when Eva and Jonas showed up at the restaurant to surprise him and Isak managed to sneak 5 minute conversations at their table with them when no one else needed serving. However, even that night had ended up being bittersweet as after they’d left, their table was taken by two drunk girls and when Isak asked for their credit card to pay all the only response he got was one of them vomiting all over his shoes.

He hated the general public.

To top everything off, Isak got a call informing him that his mum had been checked back into her care facility again. Isak loved his mum but he simply didn’t have the time to go and visit her, not between shifts, and so he was getting angry texts from his dad accusing him of not caring. When a particularly nasty text came through at 11pm after a long shift, Isak felt the tears leaking out. It tried to wipe them off his cheeks but more kept coming and soon he was close to sobbing. It was all too much. Everything.

“Isak? What’s the matter?” Erik laid a hand over Isak’s knee over the top of their duvet.

“It’s m-my mum, she’s b-bad again and I don’t know what do.” Isak hated how weak he sounded.

“Is she in the care facility?”

Isak sniffed and wiped his cheeks again, “Yeah, she went in on Wedneasday but I just can’t-“

He was interrupted by Erik’s ringtone blaring out from his night stand.

“Oh, it’s the publishers, probably getting back to me about my rough draft. I have to take this.” And with a squeeze of Isak’s knee, he left the room.

And again, Isak is left feeling slightly numb.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**meanwhile, in the other universe…**

_Isak was stood in front of his wardrobe and he was stressed. What do you wear to a casual dinner party with people you don’t know? He’d asked Eva but she said that, surprisingly she’d never been in that situation before but go smart-casual. Isak hated the term smart-casual. What percentage smart and what percentage casual should be go?_

_As a scientist he didn’t like vague terms, he preferred it black or white, smart or casual. A pair of black jeans were smart causal, right? Black jeans and a button down. Just as Isak leaned down to grab his best pair of jeans his phone buzzed with a text._

_He hoped it was Even. They’d been texting pretty regularly since their milkshake d̶a̶t̶e̶ meeting, on most mornings Isak would wake up to either a picture of a puppy (“okay this one has hair just like yours”) or an outdated meme from 2015 which Even claimed was still “just as funny now”. Outdated or not they still made Isak laugh, though maybe it was Even in general that made him smile (not that he’d admit that to anyone else, never mind himself)._

_It was Even._

_Even: hi! Are we still okay about meeting at the tube station before hand? Around 7? p.s. don’t worry too much about what to wear!!! I can feel ur stress from here_

_Isak rolled his eyes, how did Even always know his exact thoughts and feelings? He was like some kind of mind reader for Isaks brain and Isak didn’t know whether it flattered him or creeped him out._

_Isak: yes 7 sounds great, see you soon p.s. im not stressing im chill im a chill guy_

_Even: sure you are, mr my-middle-name-is-stressy_

_Isak: I don’t have a middle name thank you very much_

_Even: so your initials are IV? Like the drip they give people to survive in hospital? Explains why I cant live without you ;)_

_Isak feels the blush come over his cheeks and a warm feeling fill his stomach. He’d never liked sappiness, well that’s what he always told himself. Erik has always said that it was a waste of time and Isak had agreed. And yet when Even slipped cheesy comments in like this, Isak felt happiness, not distain at the comment._

_But of course Even was only joking, they’re friends. Good friends, Isak would say now._

_Isak: clearly your middle name is “cheesy as fuck”_

_Even: that’s three middle names Isak._

*

_Isak buttoned up his coat before opening the front door to the flat, ready to face the harsh November wind._

_“Have fun on your date, Is!” Jonas called after him as he stepped outside._

_“It’s not a date!” Isak threw the remark over his shoulder before shutting the door behind him._

_It was only a short walk to the underground station from Jonas and Eva’s and when Isak arrived, Even was already stood outside waiting for him, looking elegant in an open black trench coat and his trademark blonde quiff. As he headed towards Even, Isak watched as he picked up a ticket an old lady had dropped and handed it back to her, with a smile so bright it could probably be seen from space; the warm feeling returned to Isak’s stomach. Even too was wearing jeans and a button-up, except his was blue to match his eyes. Isak was just having a ridiculous thought about how that blue might be his new favourite colour when Even spotted him and waved._

_“Hi! You look great.” Even is quick to compliment, sending a flood of pink to Isak’s face._

_“Thanks. You look alright, I guess.” Isak grinned at him to make it obvious he was joking. Of course he was joking, Even looked like he could have just stepped off the runway._

_“Wow, take it easy with the gushing compliments there Valtersen.”_

_“The highest compliment you’ll ever hear coming from me Bech Næsheim.”_

_It was an easy ride to Mikael’s stop and they did it in under 20 minutes, teasing back and forth the entire journey. When they were finally faced with his front door, Isak felt his earlier nerves return. And of course Even picked up on it._

_“You alright?”_

_Isak swallowed, “Yes, I just don’t do this kind of thing very often. Dinner with people I don’t know and all that.”_

_“It’s good to go outside your comfort zone sometimes, that’s the only way we learn to grow.”_

_Isak raised both eyebrows as he took in Evens serious face, “Didn’t know I’d made friends with a life coach.”_

_Even laughed and it was a full-bodied sound that filled Isak right to his toes, “I’m right though! But whatever, I’ll keep my deep meaningful thoughts to myself.” Even leant towards him and squeezed his arm, “My friends are good people, I promise.”_

_“Okay.” And with that, Even pressed the doorbell. They didn’t have to wait long before a voice called out from within the house._

_“Who the fuck is ringing the bell? Just come in you idiot!”_

_Even laughed again and opened the door before calling back, “Well sorry that I wanted to act like we still had good manners in front of my guest.”_

_Just as Isak was taking off his coat, a face appeared around a doorway to his left._

_“Even!” The lanky frame which the face belonged to bounded up to Even to embrace him in a tight hug. It reminded him of how he and Jonas hugged. “And you must be Isak, I’m Mikael!” Before Isak could say anything Mikael wrapped him in a friendly hug as well, clapping his back. Isak wasn’t sure how to respond at this unexpected affection so settled for awkwardly patting Mikael back._

_“It’s so great to meet you! Even hasn’t stopped-“_

_Even interrupted, “Is everyone else here already?”_

_Mikael stepped back from Isak and raised one eyebrow before replying, “Yes, they’re all attempting to help in the kitchen.” Mikael looked back to Isak. “They’re more of a hindrance if I’m being honest Isak, but what friends aren’t?”_

_“My friend Eva always says the exact same thing.” Isak smiled back at Mikael, already liking him. Even’s friends clearly were good people._

_Mikael and Even laugh in response before both heading into the doorway Mikael first appeared from. Isak followed and was met with a very tiny kitchen that was packed with people. Two guys were crowded around a recipe book, trying to read the instructions over the food splatters. Someone else was stirring a pot of sauce whilst also trying to check if whatever was in the oven was cooking properly. And in the far corner a guy with a bandana was arguing with a girl in a hajib about how to peel carrots; they were both smiling at each other though so Isak figured it wasn’t too serious._

_“Even and Isak are here!” Mikael announces them and three faces turn his way – the couple with the carrots seem far too engrossed in each other._

_“Even! It’s been too long man!”_

_“Mutta, you literally saw him yesterday.”_

_“Exactly Elias, it’s been a whole day!” With that, Mutta launches himself at Even who’s laughing and hugging him back with equal enthusiasm. Elias hugs Even after, followed by the boy who has been stirring the sauce before the three boys round on Isak._

_“Isak! You look exactly like your pictures. That’s so rare, dude!” Mutta claps him on the shoulder._

_“My pictures?”_

_“Yeah man, Even had us all stalking your social media’s. I’m Adam by the way.”_

_Isak smiled at Adam before eyeing up Even who had gone a light shade of pink. “I wouldn’t call it stalking Adam, just looking at a friends profile-“ Evens friends all turn to him, making various sounds of disbelief._

_“If I looked in the dictionary under the phrase ‘instagram stalking’ it would be a picture of you.” Elias returned his gaze to Isak once more. “Hi Isak! Welcome to the chaos.”_

_Isak smiled back, “It’s great to meet you.”_

_Mikael squeezed past them all, “Let me get you something to drink. Even? Isak? Wine okay?” When they both nodded their consent Mikeal turned to speak to the couple in the corner, still wrapped up in their own little world. “Guys, as adorable as you might be, please move out of the way of the fridge, I need to get to the wine.”_

_The couple finally turned around as Even and Isak uttered twin gasps._

_“Elias’ little sister is who you’re dating Yousef?”_

_“I do have a name Even you know- hold on! Isak? Is that really you?”_

_“Sana! It’s been too long!”_

_As Isak moved to hug his long lost high school biology partner the rest of the guys turned to look at them both in shock._

_“You two know each other?” Even questioned, a look of amusement on his face._

_“Yeah, we were in the same year at high school. Haven’t seen each other since we graduated.”_

_Adam smiled, “Well isn’t this a small world.”_

_“A small world is that out of all the girls, or guys, that Yousef could have dated, he chose my sister.” Elias’ words could have sounded harsh but the small smile on his face betrayed him._

_Yousef held his hands up in mock defence as Sana rolled her eyes._

_“Come on Elias, out of all the men in the world I’d probably prefer Yousef to be dating my little sister, he’s like the kindest and most romantic person I know.” Mutta said._

_“Kindest? Yeah. But most romantic has to go to Even.” Mikael countered, handing two glasses of wine to Even and Isak. Even winked – or well attempted to wink – back._

_“So, how long have you guys been together?” Even asked, sipping from his wine._

_Yousef and Sana exchanged a look, “About a month now.”_

_“A month?! And you didn’t think to tell us?!  All we got was soppy messages in the groupchat about some mysterious women that he was sure was the love of his life.” At Adam’s statement, Yousef ducked his head to hide his reddening face. Sana simply laughed and quirked an eyebrow at him, Isak could see her eyes sparkling from across the kitchen._

_“Okay as fun as embarrassing Yousef is, dinner’s ready so please get out of my kitchen so I can serve it up.” Mikael shooed them all out with his hands into the next room which was set up with a massive circular table in the middle. Isak found himself sat between Even and Sana, who he immediately began catching up with after the years they had spent apart._

_The food was great and the table conversation even better. The boys swapped anecdotes and stories, mostly with the purpose of embarrassing Even for Isak’s entertainment – Sana helped balance things up with stories about Isak from high school which had Isak hiding in his hands and Even shaking with laughter._

_Though everyone had clearly known each other for a long time, they never made Isak feel unincluded, instead they made sure to direct questions at him and explain any necessary inside jokes. Through the teasing, Isak could tell how much Evens friends cared for Even and for each other and it made Isak miss his own now-dispersed friendship group terribly; he made a mental note to send out a group text later and try and organise a reunion._

_Isak found himself laughing more than he can remember in the longest time; in the fresh sting of his breakup he had felt like he could never be as happy as he was again. Now he’s realising that not only can he be that happy but he can also end up even happier. This was a relaxed atmosphere that Isak had never experienced around the dinner table with Erik._

_After dessert was over, Isak offered to clear up the plates (he was being a good guest) and Even stood up to help him, following behind him into the kitchen._

_“So my friends weren’t scary, right?” Even looked over at Isak with a soft smile on his face which made Isak grin back (it was like some kind of natural reaction, Isak simply couldn’t look at Even smiling without smiling himself... weird)._

_“Nah, they’re great.” Isak smiled, “Thanks for inviting me here.”_

_“Don’t mention it, I just wanted to make you happier, get your mind off the break up and everything.” Even’s eye contact with him was almost intense and yet Isak couldn’t look away._

_“Well it worked.” Isak said._

_Even’s smile grew, “Good, mission accomplished.”_

_*_

_Isak left that night with a stomach full of wine, head full of laughter and an invitation from Mutta to come to the next dinner party which would be at his house. He and Even caught the tube home together and parted ways with a brief hug that made Isak feel even warmer than the wine had._

_When he opened the door of Eva and Jonas’s flat, he expected them to both be in bed already but they were sat on the sofa watching old Friends reruns and looking suspiciously like they were waiting for him to get back._

_Isaks suspicions were confirmed when the TV was turned off and the couples attention redirected at Isak the second he sat down on the chair facing opposite them._

_“So…” Jonas said raising an eyebrow at Isak who just looked blankly back._

_“So how was the date?” Eva cut in, the excitement clear on her face._

_Isak rolled his eyes, “Okay for the 52 nd time, it wasn’t a date!” _

_Jonas and Eva exchanged a look before both rolling their eyes in response. “Look, regardless of whatever your delusional mind wants to label it, how was it?” Jonas leaned forward as if he wanted to catch every syllable of Isaks answer._

_“It was fine.” Isak gave a simple answer to annoy them more than anything else, and it worked._

_“You better expand on that Valtersen, I didn’t stay up until 1am for the best description word you can come up with to be ‘fine’!” Eva picked up a cushion and made to throw it at Isaks head._

_“Alright, alright,” Isak laughed, holding his arms up in defence, “It went really well, I had a great time, I always do with Even.” Jonas raised an eyebrow as a smirk grew on Eva’s face. “Don’t look at me like that! We’re just friends!”_

_“Look, we’re not trying to push you or anything, it’s just that you’re always happiest after you come home from hanging out with him. We just want you to be happy.” Jonas smiled, still giving Isak an annoyingly knowing look._

_His words stayed with Isak as he tried to fall asleep that night. So maybe Jonas was right, Isak was happy when he was with Even._

_And okay,_ maybe _Isak’s mind_ sometimes _drifted to what could be if him and Even were more than friends. He was only human after all and who wouldn’t when your new friend was very nice and very funny and extremely gorgeous. And Even did look very huggable and his hands looked like they would be very soft to hold and his lips- well. Isak was sure they’d feel good anywhere._

_But Isak didn’t want to ruin this great friendship that he has by starting to think that they could be more, especially when Even never seemed to hint at it._

_So they stayed friends and Even continued to be a positive influence in his life. They met for coffee at least once during the week and usually did some kind of fun activity on the weekends (well the activities were normally Even’s version of fun, Isak did not enjoy the spin class he had been dragged to: he was made for science, not exercise). It was Even who made him laugh so hard that some coffee came out his nose one Wednesday morning and it was also Even that encouraged Isak to apply for a veterinary apprenticeship scheme that Isak was eligible for due to his qualifications; it had always been a pipe dream of his but he’d never quite had to guts to see if he could make it happen. Somehow, he gained his confidence with Even sitting beside him and practically making him fill out the application. He had gotten the job as well._

_If Isak was being extremely sappy he would say that Even made him want to be a better person and Isak could already feel himself becoming one with just over a month of their friendship. And if Isak was being extremely honest, he wanted to be around Even almost all the time._

_So of course, when Even suggested they go out for dinner one Saturday night, Isak says yes. They end up at a small but lively restaurant that overlooks the Thames. It was winter now and the air outside was startlingly cold but inside, next to the restaurants open fire and underneath Evens gaze, Isak felt rather warm._

_Isak removed his coat and was just admiring the way the lights from the restaurant were shimmering on the waters surface when Even spoke up. “It’s so pretty, right?” Isak looked back at him to find him too admiring the water. “I’ve tried to photograph it before but it never fully captures the beauty.”_

_Isak nodded, “Yeah, it’s like when you try and take a photo of the sunset. Sure, the photo can look good but its never as breath-taking.”_

_“Yes! Exactly! The colours are never quite as vivid.”_

_Isak hummed in agreement and suddenly Even burst into laughter. Isak regarding him curiously, “What? What’s so funny?”_

_“Sorry,” Even seemed to find time to catch his breath to shoot Isak a teasing smile, “I just had a conversation with Isak Valtersen about photography. It’s very shocking, you see he’s not very cultured.”_

_Isak made a sound of dismay, “I’m cultured, thank you very much!”_

_Even raised one eyebrow, still giggling, “Star Wars isn’t culture Isak.”_

_And the conversation continues. Even is in the middle of ranting about whatever idiot decided to cancel The Get Down when Isak’s phone starts buzzing. At first he ignores it but it starts buzzing incessantly so Isak fishes it out of his pocket to simply turn it off but instead catches a glimpse of the screen. It was his dad. And it was about his mum._

_Apparently, she had had a bad episode and this one was bad enough for her to have been checked into her care facility again. Isak’s heart fell, he didn’t ever like it when she had a bad episode as it meant that she was hurting emotionally but the fact that she’d been taken back into care again meant she’d hurt herself physically this time. Isak wouldn’t be able to visit her until Monday; they didn’t let visitors in when a patient had been recently checked in._

_Isak’s mood change must have shown on his face as Even leaned over to squeeze his arm, “Are you okay, Isak? If the sound of my voice makes you that sad, you can just tell me to shut up, you know.”_

_Isak manages a weak smile in return, “It’s not you, I’m sorry. It’s just… family stuff.”_

_“You don’t have to apologise,” Even reminds him kindly, “Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to but it might help?”_

_Isak took a deep breath and looked back at Even, he never shares things about his family but Even’s face looked so patient and understanding, like he’d listen to everything Isak wanted to say. Maybe Isak could make an exception for him._

_“Okay,” Isak paused to take a shaky breath, Even just gave him another small smile and waited for him to continue. “It was my dad texting me to tell me that my mum had to be checked back into her care facility, she had a bad episode. It’s for her own safety, to stop her hurting herself but every time I go to visit her in there she just looks so… so sad and I hate it.”_

_It felt oddly relieving to finally tell someone how he felt about his mum, he doesn’t even go into detail about this with Jonas._

_Even nodded slightly, a strangely blank look on his face, “Is she diagnosed?”_

_“Yes, she’s got schizophrenia, she was diagnosed when I was 16. Before that my dad left her because it got so hard with no diagnosis, he just had no idea how to care for her. I managed to get her to a doctor. She’s on good medication now which helps her and she’s normally stable, it’s just sometimes she slips again.” Isak looked down to fiddle with the tablecloth, “It’s just I love her so much and I hate knowing she’s confused and probably lonely right now, and there’s nothing I can do to help her. I feel so useless sometimes, like I’m being a bad son or something”_

_There was a loaded silence after Isak stopped speaking and an apology for talking too much was on the tip of his tongue when Even grasped one of his hands in both of his and squeezed it reassuringly. Isak looked back into his eyes and saw that his blank look was gone, replaced with one almost of admiration. “You’re a really good son Isak, you clearly care for her so much and she must appreciate that more than you could know.”_

_“You really think so? Sometimes I feel like I could do more to help, you know?” Isak could hear the vulnerability in his tone but Even did nothing to make him feel embarrassed._

_“The fact that you’re trying to help her in the first place shows how caring you are. Even in the midst of an episode, she’ll remember that at the back of her mind.”_

_Something about Even’s words seemed too personal to just be hypothetical advice but Isak didn’t press the matter, “Thank you Even, really. Thanks for listening and helping. Just, thank you.” Isak squeezed his hand back and gave him a smile which Even returned._

_Isak assumed that conversation would continue as normal after that but instead Even asked, “Can I tell you about something?” He looked unsettled and nervous which was out of character, Even always seemed so sure of himself._

_Isak tried his best not to look too taken aback, “Yeah, sure. Of course.”_

_“I don’t normally tell people about this, not if I can help it but… well we’ve been friends for a while now and before I can get any closer- I just mean-“ Even was working himself up, speaking faster and faster with each word so Isak cut in._

_“Look Even, it’s alright. You can tell me anything and I’ll try to help.”_

_Even gave a small grimace, “It’s not really something you can help me with. But okay,” He took a deep breath, “I’m bipolar.”_

_Evens eyes were scanning Isaks face, clearly looking for any kind of bad reaction. It made Isak angry that someone had clearly reacted badly to this before and it had hurt Even so now he was anxious about telling anyone else. Even didn’t deserve to be in any kind of pain._

_“Okay.” Isak replied simply._

_Even still looked on edge, “Okay? Are you sure? It can get too much sometimes, I’d understand if you’d rather not be around me as much anymore.”_

_“Yes, of course I’m sure. It doesn’t change how I think about you at all, being bipolar doesn’t completely define who you are. You’re still my funny, supportive friend called Even who knows way too much about movies. As long as you feel like you have the right support and stuff, everything’s good.” Isak gave Even a smile and reached out to squeeze his hand like Even has squeezed his moments earlier._

_Isak could almost see the worry drain out of Even’s face and replaced with something akin to awe, “You’re such a great person Isak, I’m glad I met you.”_

_Isak felt the blush on his cheeks, “And I’m glad I met you.”_

_*_

_After they had eaten dinner, Isak found himself being pulled to a boat hire place, just outside the restaurant._

_“Even! It’s 21:00! No-one is going to let us hire a boat!”_

_“Well you’re wrong on two accounts because it’s actually 21:21 and that place is still open.” Even pointed to a tiny hut just in front of them which sure enough still had its lights on and a man sitting at the counter._

_So that’s how Isak ended up on a boat in the middle of the Thames on a Saturday night with a blonde giraffe cramped in next to him. It turn out that two six foot and above men aren’t made to fit in a tiny hire canoe._

_“In hindsight, this boat is probably too small for both of us.” Even remarked thoughtfully._

_Isak snorted, “Yeah, no shit. I’m practically sat in your lap.”_

_“And I have no problems with that.”_

_Isak rolled his eyes in an attempt to draw Evens attention away from the blush that was now dancing across his cheeks. “When you say things like that, I’m hardly surprised that my friends think we’re dating.”_

_Evens eyebrows flicked upwards, “They do?”_

_Isak nodded his confirmation, “Yep. They wanted me to find someone else. So, when I said that I’d just met a new friend, they kind of jumped on you. Figuratively.”_

_“Do they think I’m some kind of rebound then?” Even’s words were teasing but still the insinuation unsettled Isak._

_Isak was quick to rectify, “No! God, I haven’t thought about Erik in forever.” And it’s true, ever since the night spent with Even’s friends, his ex hadn’t been on his mind at all. Isak had just about admitted to himself that he had feelings for Even but he knew he wasn’t a rebound. A rebound wouldn’t make his heart pound the way Even does. Isak scrunched up his nose, “I hate that word anyways.”_

_“What? Rebound? I wouldn’t blame you if you were you know, in some ways everyone’s on some sort of rebound. I mean, I am.”_

_Isak felt himself freeze at Even’s words, “You-You are?” Isak looked over at him and Even just nodded solemnly. Isak tried not to let his mind fill with dread, telling himself that it shouldn’t matter if Even is still hung up on someone. Him and Isak are just friends._

_“Oh. Well, who are you on a rebound from then?”_

_Even sighed, a suffering look painted on his face as he looked straight at Isak. “Her name was Sonja. My whole life pivots around me and her breaking up.” Isak gave a small nod and tried to look understanding as Even continued. “She broke up with me and, well I don’t think I’ve ever been the same since.”_

_Isak nodded again, his voice quiet, “So when did you two break up?”_

_“I remember it, clear as day.” Even gave another dramatic sigh. “It was June 25 th, 2003. We were six.” A warm feeling filled Isak as he realised Even was joking, it was coupled with annoyance at himself that he had fallen for the ruse._

_“Oh my god! I seriously thought you’d just been through a traumatic break up! What the fuck Even!” Isak tried to shove him but Even catches his hand before he manages to, laughing as he does. Isak can’t pretend to stay mad for long because soon he’s laughing too._

_“It was traumatic! She left me for Jakob Borgen because he had more crayons than I did.”_

_Isak just laughed louder at Even’s comment, “You’re ridiculous.”_

_Even’s eyes were twinkling like the lights on the river, “Maybe.” Even was looking directly into Isaks eyes and he was suddenly aware of how close they were pressed together, chests and noses almost touching. His body seemed hyper aware of Evens presence, the feel of his breath against Isaks face and the pressure of his hand on Isaks thigh. He took a second to move his gaze to Evens lips before returning to his eyes again._

_Isak wasn’t too sure what happened because one moment there was several centimetres between them and then suddenly there was none and Even was crashing their lips together. Even slid a hand up to cup Isaks cheek as he ran his tongue along Isaks bottom lip but Isak found himself unable to move. His brain couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than the feeling of Evens mouth on his, something Isak didn’t realise just how much he was craving until now._

_It felt good. So, so, so good._

_But all too soon Even was pulling away again, leaving Isak quite literally breathless. They simply sat there for a moment, looking at each other and panting, Isaks brain still struggling to catch up._

_“You kissed me.” In another situation Isak would be embarrassed at how dumb he sounded._

_Even chuckled, “Yeah, I noticed that too.”_

_Isak found his gaze shifting involuntarily to Evens mouth again, “Do we do that?”_

_“We can if you want to.” And Even smiled at him so sweetly, with just a touch of nervousness, that Isak found himself closing the gap between them this time._

_Isak wasn’t sure how long they sat out, kissing in the middle of the Thames but he does know that the only reason they stopped was because it started absolutely pouring down. With yelps and bubbling laughter, they rowed themselves back to shore and ran for shelter in the closest underground station. They made their way to the platform, kissing on the escalator as they did so which resulted in Even nearly falling off it and into some American tourists. When the train arrived, it was pretty full so they ended up standing, facing each other, almost as close as they were on the boat._

_As the train pulled away from the platform and into the tunnel Even raked a hand through Isaks hair. “Your hair looks cute when its wet.”_

_Isak pretended to pout, “Are you saying I don’t always look cute?”_

_“Of course you always look cute, you just look extra cute right now.” Isak grinned at him and lifted his chin up, asking for a kiss. When Even happily obliged, Isak felt his smile widen. He felt as light as a feather and even though he was dripping wet, he doesn’t remember the last time he felt this warm._

_“Hey, stop smiling. I can’t kiss you properly.” When Even’s demand just had Isak grinning more, he laughs into Isaks mouth and pulls back slightly to bump their noses together._

_“You know, I might have invited you over to my house but my flatmate’s home.”_

_Isak inched forward to press a peck to Evens mouth, “My friends are both in Oslo right now so the flat’s free. If you want to, I mean?”_

_Even looked at him like Isak had just asked the most stupid question._

_When they arrived, Isak gave Even a quick tour around the flat and Even pretended to be interested. He actually was interested in a picture Jonas had framed in the living room of him and Isak from high school but Isak managed to pull Even away and towards the guest bedroom he was currently occupying. As soon as the door closed behind them, they started kissing again. It felt so sweet and not at all rushed, Even was kissing him like they had all the time in the world and Isak guessed they did. He would happily send his whole forever kissing Even like this._

_Once they made it to the bed, Even pulled back and looked down at Isak with such an intense look that it had Isak squirming. The look of awe that he had noticed in the restaurant was back and this time it felt magnified._

_“Stop looking at me like that.” Isaks voice was quiet, still trying to catch his breath from their kiss._

_“Like what?” Even said, just as softly._

_“Like I’m the person who put stars in the sky or something.” Isak whispered so quietly he was afraid Even didn’t hear him. But he did._

_Even’s grin returned, so wide that the corners of his eyes were adorably crinkled. “I don’t think I know how else to look at you.” He leans down to capture Isak’s lips with his own and Isak let himself melt into the mattress and into Even._

_*_

_After, Isak is wrapped up in his sheets and Even. He can’t remember the last time he was this content. Even is running gentle fingers through his hair as Isak rests his head on Evens chest, basking in the afterglow._

_Even is the one to break the comfortable silence, “Tell me something that no-one else knows.”_

_The question stumps him slightly as he tries to think of something that neither Jonas, Eva or Eskild know about. He comes to something eventually, something he’s never admitted to someone before because he didn’t think anyone would be interested at all._

_“I believe in the parallel universe theory.”_

_Isak can feel Even smile from where his lips are pressed to Isaks crown. “Of course you would relate the question to science.” He teases. “Okay, tell me more about this theory.”_

_“Well its basically nicknamed the multiverse. It’s a cosmos in which there are multiple universes. And by multiple, I mean, like an infinite number. And each alternate universe carries its own different version of reality. So like they’ll be one where you’re a science nerd and I’m a movie buff. Or one where my bedroom curtains are yellow or something. There’s loads of physics theory behind it but essentially, whenever you make a decision, somewhere in the multiverse you made the opposite choice and so everything from then on is different in that universe. Which is why its infinite, because every choice we’ve ever made could be reversed.” Isak paused, dancing his fingers across Evens lower arm. “It helped me when I was struggling as a teenager. Like even if I made the wrong decision at some point it was okay but a version of me out there made the right one.”_

_Even hummed, “I’ve never thought about that before.” He tightened his hold around Isaks waist. “What about all those versions of us? What if some of them never meet? That’s sad.”_

_“Me and you? I think we find each other in all the possible universes.”_

_The last thing Isak feels before he drifts off is Even kissing the top of his head._

_*_

_When Isak wakes up it’s from the most peaceful and longest sleep he’s had in a while. He can feel warm sunlight on his face, coming through the crack between his curtains, and smell the lingering scent of Even all around him. When he opens his eyes though, the pillow next to him is empty and cold to the touch. He briefly feels abandoned and slightly vulnerable before he spots a bright pink post-it note attached to the duvet:_

_ Sorry, I had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment (you’re extra cute when you sleep too <3 )  _

_Beside the note Even had drawn a little cartoon of Isak, his arms curled around a pillow and a tiny pout on his face. Isak grinned at the note and quickly fished around in his jeans for his phone. Before he could click on Evens contact however, his attention was drawn to the string of texts he had received from Erik the night before that had gone unnoticed._

_Erik: Isak I think we should try us again._

_Erik: I saw you last night at a restaurant and I realised how much I still love you._

_Erik: We were so good together Isak, we can’t just throw that away._

_Erik: You need someone who can always support you and I can do that._

_Erik: Please baby, let’s give us another try, I don’t think I can live without you_

_And they went on. For 43 messages._

_Isak rolled his eyes and deleted the entire conversation thread. It was typical Erik: he doesn’t spare Isak a second thought until he sees him with someone else. Isak’s happy he never has to see him again._

_He scrolls down to click on his conversation with Even._

_Isak: thank you for the note :)_ _are you free anytime today? miss you already <3_

 _Was that too clingy? Isak didn’t care, it was the truth and Isak can’t imagine any time soon where he didn’t want to be around Even as much as he could. He flopped back down on his pillow (he actually laid back down on the pillow Even used last night, he smelt good_ okay _) with a grin still plastered on his face. He felt so content with his life right now, he didn’t think it had ever been better than this. Amazing friends, a job he liked AND a gorgeous, sweet maybe-soon-to-be-god-isak-hopes-so boyfriend? He had finally hit jackpot and it felt pretty damn great._

_It felt less great when 48 hours later Even still hadn’t replied to his text._

**Meanwhile in the other universe…**

(AN: lol if you still remember this one, I got carried away on that last section…oops)

Isak felt pathetic. It was a Friday night and he was sat alone on his couch with a microwaveable (and pretty disgusting) lasagne in front of him. He’d been given the night off from the restaurant and he had been looking forward to the chance to maybe go out for dinner or catch a movie with Erik.

Erik however has announced that he has a business trip to go to, all weekend, leaving Isak alone on his night off. It was something about another publisher who wanted to read Erik’s novel. When Isak had asked if it could wait, maybe until next weekend when Isak was working three full shifts and so wouldn’t notice the empty flat, Erik has reminded him again that books don’t write themselves and didn’t Isak want him to achieve his dreams? Did Isak want to be the one to hold him back?

So Isak was alone and wallowing in his own self-pity. There was a time, at university, where every free evening he had would be spent doing something ridiculously fun and probably a little stupid with Jonas. Or his other friends Magnus and Manhdi. Or Eskild. Or Eva and her friends.

However he couldn’t relive these days as Jonas was visiting his sick grandmother in Oslo right now. And Magnus and Mahdi had both moved to New York for jobs. And Eskild was currently on his honeymoon.

But Eva had to work this weekend so she was in London.

She answered on the first ring, “Isak! My favourite blonde!” Even just the sound of her voice coming from his crappy phone speakers made Isak smile, his first proper smile in weeks.

“Eva! Hi! Do you happen to be free right now? To hang out with your favourite blonde and his disgusting shop-bought lasagne?”

“I’m always free for you Issy! I can be there in twenty? Or twenty five if I stop for some wine on the way.”

“See you in twenty five then.”

“Gotcha.”

*

“That looks like cardboard, I don’t think it even deserves the term ‘lasagne’.” Eva kicks her shoes off as she inspects Isak’s mostly untouched dinner with disgust. “Good job I bought some of my homemade stew with me.”

Isak groaned at just the thought of her stew, he honestly thinks that it’s what got him through university. Without it he would have been trying to survive off Pot Noodles. “Eva, I love you.”

“Careful Valtersen, I’m engaged to another man.” Eva winks at him as she hands him a bowl of stew.

They talk as they eat, catching up mostly. Isak complains about his work whilst Eva brings him up to speed on the various wedding plans she’s trying to sort out. She’s mid-way through explaining an argument she had with her mum about not wanting to invite her homophobic uncle when she suddenly gasps.

“The wine!” With her attention clearly diverted from the previous conversation to more important matters, she leaps off the sofa and returns moments later with the chilled bottle of wine and two glasses.

At the sight of the glasses Isak’s stomach lurched as his mind brought him back to the horrible moment with Erik in the kitchen. The hurt must have shown on his face as suddenly Eva was eyeing him with concern.

“Isak? What’s wrong?”

And suddenly it all came spilling out of Isak’s mouth, he told her about everything from the wine glass incident to Erik’s outburst to the awkward atmosphere that’s existed ever since.

“Wait, you’re telling me that he blamed the whole situation on you being dramatic?”

Isak thought about it for a second before nodding, “Well yeah, but he was right I mean-“

“Isak you had every right to ask him about that! You were confused and tired from working all those shifts to pay rent, whilst he sits here and earns nothing by the way, so the least he could have shown you was some patience!”

Isak was about to come to Erik’s defence when he realised Eva had a point. Erik had blamed the whole upset on him, hadn’t even apologised for his aggressive outburst and just made Isak feel so useless and weak. Surely that’s not how you should feel in a relationship.

“Yeah, you might be right. But anyway, it’s been hard lately, for both of us I’m sure.” Isak tries to justify.

“Maybe so but that’s no excuse to make your partner feel like Erik made you feel, and not apologise!” Eva spoke in such an angry way that she was almost spitting. “Argh! He’s such a dick, I knew I never liked him for a reason.”

Isak snapped his eyes to hers, “Wait… you never liked him?”

Eva looked slightly sheepish but nodded, “It wasn’t like I ever hated him, I just didn’t get the best vibe from him. You seemed happy enough though so I didn’t say anything.” Eva tightened the arm she has slung around his shoulder. “I just don’t think he always treats you the way you deserve.”

Isak looked down, not knowing what to do with this information. Alongside Jonas, Eva was a person whose opinion mattered to him the most. If she didn’t like Erik, this was a huge warning sign for him.

He leaned his head on Eva’s shoulder, “So what should I do?”

Eva rested her head on top of his, “Confront him with it, tell him how he made you feel and how that’s not okay.”

Isak nodded at her words, “I can do that.” He paused before adding, “I really do love you Eva – no hetro.”

“Love you too.”

**Meanwhile in the other universe….**

_Isak felt pathetic. Even hadn’t contacted him in any shape or form since their night together last Saturday and he was sat here pining after him like some ridiculous lovesick teenager. It wasn’t as if Isak needed to see him every single day, he wasn’t possessive, but a simple text to let him know they were okay and everything was good would be nice. Especially after they had slept together, the fact that Even had fallen off the radar ever since filled him with unease. Isak had felt so light and happy that night and he craved to have the feeling again._

_The lack of communication had sent Isak’s brain into overdrive, his ugly insecurities rearing their heads once more. What if Even didn’t return the feelings Isak had? Maybe his heart didn’t start pounding out of his chest when he saw him or maybe he didn’t break out into an involuntary smile whenever he so much as thought of him. Maybe he’d lost interest after Saturday night, maybe Isak couldn’t kiss very well, maybe he was boring to talk to._

_Ultimately though he just needed to know Even was okay. Isak cared about him so much, no matter if his feelings were returned or not, he still cared. Even was like a bright ray of sunshine into his life and without him around everything seemed a lot gloomier._

_On the next Friday morning (71 days since he’d first met Even, not that Isak was counting or anything) the weather seemed to match his mood. Constant rain was pouring out of the sky causing Isak to get soaked from just his short walk from the flat to the underground station. He was trying to wring out his coat whilst waiting for a train on the platform when he spotted Yousef right in front of him._

_“Hey! Yousef!” He turned around at his name and offered Isak a smile._

_“Isak! Hey man! Horrible weather today right?” Yousef stepped aside slightly to make room for Isak to stand next to him._

_“Yeah, it’s disgusting. I hate rain more than anything.” Isak joined in the polite conversation._

_“Same! Both Mikael and Even say they love it but I really can’t see the appeal.”_

_Isak feels himself freeze slightly at Evens name but quickly recovers when he realises that Yousef might know something he doesn’t._

_“Hmm, yeah. But can I ask you something? Have you heard from Even recently? It’s just that he’s not been replying to my messages for almost a week now and I’ve been wondering if he’s alright?”_

_Yousefs eyes widened slightly and he coughed before replying, looking down to avoid Isaks eyes, “Um yeah, he’s fine, don’t worry. He’s just on a, uh, business trip right now, so that might be why he’s not getting in touch.”_

_At that moment Isaks train pulled into the platform so he was forced to quickly say goodbye to Yousef and leave him on the platform._

_Isak hadn’t learnt anything more about how Even was from the conversation but he had learnt that Yousef was a terrible liar. Which begs the question, what had Isak done so wrong, how had he offended Even so badly that he was now ignoring him and asking his friends to lie as to why? Isak’s not sure he wants to know the answer._

_That night Isak does what he always does when he doesn’t know the answer to something, be it a maths problem, how to cook rice without burning it or, in this case, how he’d managed to scare someone away after just one night: sulk._

_Eva comes home to him sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with a tub of cookie dough ice cream balanced on his lap._

_“Is this the kind of small problem where I can share that tub with you or is it larger scale and so you need it to yourself?”_

_“I messed up things with Even.” At his words Eva immediately dropped her bags to come and sit next to him, drawing Isak in to rest his head on her shoulder._

_“What happened issy?”_

_“I don’t even know, that’s the worst thing. He hasn’t been in contact with me at all and then I saw one of his friends today and they made up some lie about how he’s on a business trip when he obviously just doesn’t want to see me.”_

_Eva sighed, “I’m sorry, I know you really like him.”_

_“I do.” It’s the first time he’s admitted it out loud and it only makes the pain worse._

_Eva strokes his hair as she talks, “You deserve so much happiness Isak, I’m sure you’ll find it soon. But until then, let’s sit here, eat cookie dough and watch GBBO together, yeah?”_

_*_

_Eva lets him have a night of moping but the next morning she’s adamant that he should get out of the flat. Smell the fresh air, listen to the birds or some bullshit. Isak doesn’t have the strength to argue with her so he wraps himself up in a coat and red scarf and makes his way to the local park. Maybe he’ll see a squirrel, he likes them._

_He ends up seeing one before he even reaches the park. It’s perched on the top of a fence, its bushy tail high in the air. Isak is about to reach for his phone to take a photo when he crashes into someone._

_And of course._

_Even is wearing about five layers of jackets and hoods, his quiff just about poking out from underneath it all. His cheeks are blushed adorably pink in the cold air and his blue eyes are wide as they take in Isak. God, Isak wants to kiss him._

_“Isak.” It’s more of a breath than a word and Isak feels his heart shake slightly at the sound._

_He can’t think of anything to say. The Isak of his dreams would say something eloquent and witty, something to make Even instantly fall in love with him. “Hi.”_

_There’s a pause, it’s probably only a few seconds but it feels like hours. Even opens his mouth, probably to make pointless conversation about the weather but Isak can’t stand the thought of awkward small talk, not considering their normal ease of conversation, so he beats him to speaking._

_“Why haven’t you been in touch?” It sounds dumb and pathetic but Isak just needs to know. Even doesn’t reply so he pushes on, “What did I do wrong? Please tell me so I can at least apologise.”_

_Even lets out the breath he was apparently holding, “Oh Isak, no, it was nothing you did. You did absolutely nothing wrong, you were perfect. Maybe that’s the problem.”_

_And now Isak was even more confused. “What?”_

_Even sighed again, shifting the weight between his feet uncomfortably. “I saw the texts on your phone, from Erik. I didn’t mean to, I only wanted to check the time when I woke up but they were all over your lockscreen. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop.”_

_Isak screwed up his nose in confusion, Even still wasn’t making any sense. “Even, you know I’m over Erik. Our relationship was dead for about 9 months before we broke up.”_

_“That’s not it.” Even scuffed his shoe on the ground, still yet to make direct eye contact with Isak. “I saw this one text about how you deserve someone who can always support you and, I know he’s a dick, but he was right about that. And I can’t so that. When I’m depressed, I can barely make it out of bed, let alone be a support to you. You should be given the whole world Isak and I can’t give you that all the time, not like you deserve.”_

_Isak blinks at Evens statement and, not knowing how else to react, he takes Evens face in both of his hands to make sure he’s looking at him properly. “Even, I meant it when I said that your mental illness doesn’t define you. I don’t need someone who can give me constant support. Sure, I need to lean on someone sometimes but I can support myself. What I want is someone who can always make me happy, someone who can always cheer me up no matter how down I am. And that’s what you do Even. No one does that better than you.” Isaks voice gets a little teary at the end but he refuses to let any tears fall, he needs Even to understand what he’s saying. He needs Even._

_Even blinks back, a little disbelievingly, “Really?”_

_Isak nudges his nose with Even’s, “Yes. And for the record, you’ve been more supportive for me in the short time I’ve known you than Erik was in the three years we were together.” Even gives a small smile at his words and Isak can’t hold himself back anymore. This boy makes him so weak. He leans up to capture Evens lips with his own. It’s short but sweet and has them both grinning when they pull away._

_“I’m sorry for not texting you back or answering your calls. I should have just talked to you about it.”_

_Isak curls his hand in the curls at the nape of Even’s neck before nudging their noses together once more, it’s almost an action of comfort for him now. “That’s okay. Just text me back next time, even if it’s just an octopus emoji.”_

_“Can it be that weird emoji of a stone statue? Because you rock my world, you know.”_

_Isak lets out a bright laugh which has Even kissing him again, “As long as text me back, I’m good. I’ll warn you that I can be a very clingy boyfriend.”_

_Even raises his eyebrows in the trademark way he always does, “Boyfriend, huh?”_

_Isak shrugs in reply, well as much as he can with his arms wrapped around Even’s neck, “If you want to.”_

_“I would love to.” Even kisses him on both cheeks, his nose and then his mouth again. “I’m going to take you on a fancy date tonight, even fancier than those milkshakes we went for.”_

_“Nothing is fancier than milkshakes.”_

_Even drops his hands from where they’ve been resting on Isaks waist to take his hands. “Come on then, let’s go right now.”_

_And of course Isak follows him. He’d follow Even anywhere._

**Meanwhile in the other universe…**

Isaks hands are shaking but he’s determined to do this. To confront Erik and finally stand up for himself. Erik had come home from the library 10 minutes ago and straight away sat on the sofa and turned on the TV with just half a nod to Isak and a hurried, “Hello”, on his way.

Isak picks up the remote and flicks off the TV to get Eriks attention. And it works.

“Isak? What are you doing? I want to see the football scores.” Erik is looking at him impatiently and is already reaching for the remote when Isak moves out of his reach.

“No, we need to talk first.”

Erik sighs and rolls his eyes slightly, “What is there to talk about now?”

“I wanted to talk about the thing with the wine glasses-“

Erik cut him off. “Isak! That was over a month ago now, let it go!”

“No! I won’t! I still don’t understand what happened then! You made it all out to be my fault when I did nothing at all!”

“You’re making a massive situation out of nothing, okay? When I say nothing happened, you need to believe me, that’s what a good relationship is supposed to be! It makes me sad when you don’t trust me.”

And there he goes again, turning it all on Isak. But before Isak can speak again Erik continues.

“Look, I think you need to calm down. I’ll go make us some tea.” And with that he walks off to the kitchen, leaving Isak alone and angrier than before.

Something from a psychology lecture he had years ago in university comes floating back to him, something his professor had said about criminals. When someone is guilty, they’ll often try and shift blame quickly to someone else and make themselves sound the victim; someone with nothing to hide never acts overly defensive.

And it makes sense in this situation. Erik getting more defensive than he should of over just a wine glass. Making Isak sound like the one ruining their relationship.

He was guilty. He was having an affair.

Once the realisation dawned on him, all the odd behaviour from the past several months made sense too. The weird phone calls in the kitchen to his “mum”. The hours at the “library”. His business trips to “see his publisher”. It had all been bullshit.

But… what if he really was overexaggerating? Maybe he was reading too much into this. It all made Isaks brain hurt.

Suddenly their home phone sprung into life, ringing loudly right beside Isak. As a natural reaction, Isak picked it up, “Hello?”

“Erik? Baby, it’s me, Alex. You left your jacket at my place this morning. Are you free tomorrow evening to come and pick it up? I can do that think you like in the shower again-“

Erik chose this moment to walk into the living room, “Who’s calling?”

Isak lowers the phone from his ear, “It’s Alex, he wants to know if you can collect the jacket you left at his place this morning. What shall I tell him?” Isaks voice is dangerously calm.

Eriks eyes widen so much it looks like they’re going to pop out of his head. “Isak, I can explain-“

“Fuck you Erik.” Isak simply drops the phone onto the sofa and picks up his phone, wallet and jacket. “Jonas will be along tomorrow for my stuff.”

And with that he leaves the flat, slamming the door behind him.

Maybe he should feel upset or angry. Maybe if he had found out about the cheating another way, like catching Erik in the act, he might have been but he only feels relief at this exact moment. He only wished he had found out sooner somehow, so he could have wasted less of his time.

Maybe the other feelings would come later but right now, he was finally free of a relationship that had only been strangling him. Tomorrow he could quit all his horrible jobs and search for something he really wanted without the loom of supporting another person hanging over him. It’s like he could finally breathe again.

He made his way down the street and into the tube station. Eva had already offered her place if anything with Erik went wrong and he knew both her and Jonas would be home right now so he made his way to their stop.

It was only a short journey and within 20 minutes he was outside again and making his way to his friends flat. His phone was buzzing with multiple missed calls from Erik; Isak took out his phone to block his number when he bumps into someone who’s going fast in the opposite direction and it sends his phone flying out his hands.

“Fuck!” Isak exclaimed, scrambling to pick it up again. Another hand beat him to it.

“I’m so sorry! Look if its cracked I’ll help pay for a new screen.” Isak accepts the phone being handed to him and turns it over to thankfully see a fully intact screen.

“It’s all good, no damage done.” He raises his line of sight to reassure the stranger that everything was okay and was met with the face of a rather beautiful, blonde man.

“Really, I’m sorry for bumping into you. My friends say I have too much energy, I need to start slowing down.” The man gives him a small smile which Isak finds himself giving back.

“And my friends tell me I don’t ever have enough energy. Maybe we could trade.” It’s a small joke but the stranger laughs loudly, filling the street with the sound. Isak finds himself wanting to hear it again.

“That sounds like a good deal. Could I have your hair too? I’ve always wanted curls and mines all boring and straight.”

“Sounds like your hair is the opposite to me then.” Isak can’t believe he just said that, to a stranger, but it draws the mans laugh out again so it’s worth the blush now spread across his cheeks.

“Can I treat you to a milkshake? As an apology for bumping into you and nearly killing your phone.” The man smiles sweetly, “I’m Even by the way.”

“I’m Isak and sure, I’d like that.”

_And in both universes…_

**Even is leaning over the booth table, telling a story about the latest film he saw with such passion that it makes his eyes sparkle. He’s grinning but his grin widens whenever he looks directly at Isak and Isak can feel his smile widening as a result too. Evens eyes are crinkly and his hair is falling into them and Isak knows that this is exactly where he’s meant to be. Right here with this boy.**

_THE END_

**Author's Note:**

> hi! Thank you so much for reading this! It took me so long to write this and I ended up writing way more than I planned (I should have been writing my coursework and instead wrote a 19,000 work fic)
> 
> Please leave kudos if you enjoyed it and any comments you have too will be very much appreciated (so I can know what parts people liked etc) <3  
> Find me on tumblr @pinkstripeisak !!
> 
> hope you're having a great day!
> 
> \- olivia 
> 
> P.S. it always feels weird for me using the word ‘even’ in my writing now because my brain automatically goes to Even and honestly its a mess. Just a thought.


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